Drunk passenger who 'lost it' on flight avoids jail

The incident happened on a British Airways flight from Dubai to Heathrow, London. Photo / iStock

A drunk man who called a flight attendant a "f**king red-haired Nazi b***h" and bit a passenger on the arm has managed to avoid jail despite his "absolutely disgraceful" behaviour.

Joshua McCarthy, 21, from Kent, was sitting next to his parents on a British Airways flight from Dubai to Heathrow in April when he became aggressive after drinking five small bottles of wine, a UK court heard yesterday.

The court heard McCarthy "lost it" about 90 minutes into the flight.

He spat on a fellow passenger, and when cabin crew intervened McCarthy shouted: "I'm going to kill you".

The court heard when a flight attendant tried to calm McCarthy down, he called her a "f**king red-haired Nazi b***h" and bit another passenger on the forearm, leaving a deep bruise.

McCarthy was given a suspended sentence at Isleworth Crown Court for being drunk on a plane, assault and spitting.

Prosecutor Douglas Adams noted that the flight was filled with families, including children, returning from overseas Easter holidays.

The passenger who was bitten by McCarthy, Christopher McNerlin, said he "received an incredibly vicious bite".

"Despite wearing a jumper, it broke my skin," he told the court.

McNerlin said he wasn't able to have sex with his girlfriend for a month because he feared he'd been infected.

The flight attendant who was verbally abused said she has had trouble sleeping since the incident and added: "I cannot be alone around men, or be in the presence of drunk men".

In handing down the sentence, Judge Sandeep Kainth told McCarthy his "behaviour, with respect to what took place, was absolutely disgraceful".

"Firstly, you were intoxicated to such an extent that a member of the public aboard that flight had to intervene to assist the crew. Second, there were families present. Thirdly, there were young children present as well.

"The bite lasted for two minutes, which is quite substantial. With regard to the spitting, that is outrageously disgusting. You've let yourself and your family down."

McCarthy was sentenced to two months in jail for spitting, nine months for being drunk on an aircraft and four months for assault.

The sentences are to be served concurrently, and were suspended for 18 months.

McCarthy was also ordered to pay $1208 in compensation, $744 in costs and was ordered to carry out 220 hours of unpaid community service.